


in the eye of the storm

by kurtdraws



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Ultimate Talents (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Asexual Nanami Chiaki, Bisexual Hinata Hajime, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Komaeda Nagito's Luck Cycle, M/M, Minor Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko/Souda Kazuichi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Soda Kazuichi Being Dumb, Tags May Change, Tired Hinata Hajime, aggressive bisexual roommates, can't believe i forgot to tag this skjfgskjfgjkfkj, except for komaeda, hinata hajime is a good friend, hinata kuzuryu and souda are roommates, i swear with the amount of coffee these characters drink it might as well be a coffee shop au, im sorry for projecting onto komaeda so much, it's very mild but still, listen i indulge in a lot of my headcanons in this fic and ace chiaki is GOD TIER, listen kuzuryu and hinata's friendship makes me so soft let me have this okay, oh my god they were roommates, sonia and komaeda are cousins bc it's my comfort fic and i get to choose the headcanons, souda owns a vape bc of fucking course he does
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:20:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25369027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurtdraws/pseuds/kurtdraws
Summary: Hinata didn’t expect to exchange more than pleasantries with Komaeda, the new eccentric transfer student. But, by some stroke of luck (good or bad, he doesn’t know), they develop an unlikely friendship. What he does know is that Komaeda is a storm: unpredictable, destructive, and remarkably captivating. Hinata has somehow unwittingly swept himself into the eye of the raging storm that is Komaeda Nagito.(or i took a dumbass crack drabble too seriously and now i'm writing this. enjoy.)Note: I wanted to add this because I've seen it brought up a bit recently. I describe Komaeda as very skinny several times in this fic. This is because of a plot point that hasn't been tagged/mentioned in the story at this time. This plot point is not in correspondence with Komaeda's illness (which becomes consistently relevant to the story post Chapter 3). I care about Komaeda so much as a character, and I would never want to reduce him to his trauma or illness. I hope that this hasn't detered anyone from enjoying this story. Thank you so much for reading! (:
Relationships: Hinata Hajime & Komaeda Nagito, Hinata Hajime & Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko, Hinata Hajime & Nanami Chiaki, Hinata Hajime & Soda Kazuichi, Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Komaeda Nagito & Sonia Nevermind, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko & Soda Kazuichi
Comments: 18
Kudos: 163





	1. chapter one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoo new fic time! i'm really excited for this one. i have a lot of ideas so hopefully i'll be able to crank out chapters faster than i usually do. also this started as a crack fic about mario kart and vaping ((:

The first thing that registers in Hinata’s groggy mind when he wakes up is the unfamiliarity of the bed that he’s lying in. The second is the smell of coffee emanating from outside of the room. With a groan, Hinata rolls over and shoves his face into his pillow, debating whether or not he should go back to sleep. Despite his tired musings, Hinata reluctantly drags himself out of bed and into his shared kitchen. 

In the kitchen, Hinata finds Kuzuryu, dressed in a baggy pair of black sweatpants and a worn, loose-fitting t-shirt, propping himself against the counter and sipping from a steaming mug of what he assumes is black coffee. One of the first things that Hinata had learned about his roommate when they first started rooming together two years ago was that Kuzuryu could not and would not function throughout a day without a substantial amount of coffee. Hinata shares a silent nod with his roommate as he swipes a clean mug from the cupboard and fills it nearly to the brim. He takes a long and slow sip of the freshly brewed coffee, wanting to savour the warmth and taste of it. 

He suppresses a grimace as Souda saunters into the kitchen. The coffee is much more bitter than he remembers. Hinata must not have hidden his scowl well because Souda, sleepily dragging a blanket behind him, returns a scowl upon noticing the two piping hot cups.

“You’re both psychopaths.” Their other roommate mutters as he begins fixing his own coffee, with a generous helping of milk and sugar. 

“It’s not my fault you have the palette of a four-year-old.” Kuzuryu scoffs as he downs the rest of his coffee, before pouring himself another mug full. 

Hinata takes his time mulling over his drink, reflecting on his current situation. It’s jarring sharing a living space with Kuzuryu and Souda again after spending an entire summer back home. He supposes it won’t take very long to get used to residing with his housemates again. It never does. 

The three of them have been rooming together since their freshman year of college. Hinata could still remember their first year. Souda had quickly taken a liking to Hinata, often referring to him as his “soul friend” and has since been quite clingy with him, which can be annoying at times. But, he supposes it’s nice to have a reminder that Souda cares for him. Kuzuryu, on the other hand, had taken much longer to warm up to his housemates. But, after a lot of quiet bonding time and borderline mutual therapy sessions, he began to occasionally indicate his fondness for them. On a few rare occurrences, Kuzuryu had expressed that he considered Hinata to be like a brother to him, or willingly let Souda hang off him as the latter whined about his troubles. The three of them also got along considerably well, sharing household duties equally between them. Though they did have their occasional bouts with each other, they were never more than fleeting, petty arguments over who ate the last of the karintou or kusamochi (both of which Souda had been guilty of.)

“Hey, Hinata, you want some more coffee?”

“Huh?” Hinata breaks out of his reminiscent state to see Kuzuryu’s eyebrows furrowing over expectant yellow eyes. The question finally registers in Hinata’s mind, and he looks down to see that his cup is almost empty - _has he been lost in thought for that long?_

“No, I’m good. Nanami wants to get coffee together before classes start. So, I don’t want to get all caffeinated-out too soon.”

“Whatever, suit yourself.” Kuzuryu shrugs his shoulders and proceeds to down the rest of the coffee in one gulp, straight from the pot. 

“You’re disgusting.” Souda moans bitterly.

  


\---

  


When Hinata enters the café, his eyes immediately find Nanami in their regular spot, eyes glued to a Nintendo Switch, and a steaming cup of her usual coffee order already sitting beside her. He gives her a passing smile as he walks past her, heading to wait to order his drink. Meeting up to get coffee together is a common occurrence and almost a sort of morning ritual for them since they first became friends in high school. Nanami claims that she needs the caffeine to keep her awake throughout the day, but she always seems to fall asleep in class anyway. 

The café itself is quaint and relatively small. It’s clear that the owners had a certain vibe in mind when designing the coffee house, walls made of dark brown wood accented by the occasional exposed brick, and lights dimmed with a soft, warm yellow glow. Aesthetics, combined with the smell of spices and roasted coffee beans, gave the coffee shop a relaxing and homey feel. It’s a far cry from the corporate coffee chain that Hinata and Nanami used to go to in high school, but it was closer to campus, and who doesn’t love supporting a local establishment? 

Hinata quickly grabs his order once it’s been set down on the counter and takes the seat in front of Nanami. She gives Hinata a quick glance up from her switch in acknowledgment. 

“What game are you playing this morning?” He asks, taking a sip from his piping hot drink, wincing when the hot, bitter liquid makes contact with his tongue.

“Animal Crossing.” She says absentmindedly. 

Hinata gives her a low hum, going back in for another drink of his coffee. “Did you remember to wake up in time to buy your turnips yesterday?” Nanami nods, tapping away at the buttons on her joycons. They sit in a content silence for a few minutes while Nanami finishes whatever trades or terraforming she’s conducting on her island. She sets down her switch and takes a gulp of her drink, her tired, pink eyes meeting Hinata’s for the first time since he sat down.

“How are Kuzuryu-kun and Souda-kun settling in?”

“Fine,” Hinata answers, letting an exasperated sigh out through his clenched teeth. “They’re as lively as usual.” Nanami cocks her head to the side in interest. Hinata lets out another sigh and begins to recount the event involving his roommates earlier that morning.

  


_Kuzuryu grumbles as he struggles to open a new package of ground coffee, breathing out a frustrated ‘fuck’ as his fingers slip on the stressed plastic, before giving in and throwing the bag onto the counter._

_“Here, I got it,” Hinata offers, picking up the package and tearing it open with ease._

_“Thanks,” Kuzuryu grumbles out underneath his breath as he refills the coffee maker with the newly freed pre-ground beans._

_“Ha, bottom.” Souda snickers from across the living room, enjoying a bowl of off-brand convenience store cereal that was quickly becoming soggy._

_“Fuck you. I’m not a bottom.”_

_Souda straightens his posture and abandons his cereal on the counter. “Dude, you’re totally a bottom.”_

_“If anyone’s a fucking bottom, it’s you,” Kuzuryu shouts, turning away from the coffee brewing in the pot behind him._

_“What? No way! You agree with me, right, Hinata?”_

_“Uh…” Hinata quickly backs away from his approaching roommates, suddenly feeling uncomfortable getting dragged into the middle of the two’s argument. Thankfully, their attention quickly snaps off of him._

_“You’re definitely more of a bottom.” Kuzuryu argues, “I actually know how to drive.”_

_Souda lets out an indignant sound, “Dude, you’re, like, two feet tall, how could you top anyone.”_

_“I’ll fucking top you, you son of a bitch.” Kuzuryu growls._

_“Alright, I think that’s enough of this conversation.” Hinata interrupts, stepping between the two._

  


Nanami lets out a soft chuckle as Hinata finishes his recount of his roommates’ heated debate. “They’re definitely energetic, aren’t they?” 

Hinata groans, and opts for taking a long drink of his coffee over answering her question.

“Though,” Nanami says as she readjusts the clips pinning back her pale hair, “I think that they both lean on the bottom side of the spectrum, maybe like a bottom-leaning switch. But, when we’re comparing the two of them together, Kuzuryu-kun seems to have a little more top energy than Souda-kun because of his aggressive nature, I think.”

Hinata laughs into his drink, coffee splashing out of the cup. “You seem to know a lot about top and bottom energy for someone who’s ace.” 

“Maybe.” Nanami smiles as she powers her switch back on. “It’s a skill I've been blessed with, but will never have a practical use for.”

Hinata laughs in agreement, and the two fall back into a comfortable silence until they finish their coffee and walk to campus together. 

  


\---

  


Hinata’s attention darts away from the large, blank whiteboard he’d been staring off into while waiting for class to start, and instead to the grey eyes of a young student who is currently taking the seat next to him. The boy must have noticed his quick change in interest, as he starts fidgeting nervously. He shakily tugs a tuft of tangled, curly white hair behind his ear. The boy’s hand then falls to his mouth, and his teeth latch onto a nail that looks like it’s already been bitten down to the skin. 

“O-oh, um, I’m sorry. This seat is probably already taken, isn’t it? It was presumptuous of me to assume that you would be okay with someone like me sitting next to you.” He trails off in favour of picking aggressively at his nails.

“N-no, it’s fine!” Hinata quickly stutters out before clearing his voice, trying to make his tone a bit more dismissive. The boy seems to be freaking out a bit, so he hopes that being nonchalant might save the situation. “You’re fine. I wasn’t saving it for anyone, so you can sit there if you’d like.” 

“Are you sure?” He asks slowly, not moving from his position in front of the cheap, plastic chair that looks like it would give anyone a herniated disc if they sat in it for too long. Hinata gives a curt nod, and the boy moves stiltedly as he takes his seat. After adjusting himself in his chair and neatly placing his laptop and various books and writing utensils in front of him, his shoulders release the smallest bit of tension. Against his better judgment, Hinata decides to try and strike up a conversation with the student, hoping that it might get him to relax a little. 

“My name is Hinata, by the way. Hinata Hajime.” He offers his hand to the student in the seat next to him. The boy ponders over Hinata’s hand for a short moment, before hesitantly accepting the handshake. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hinata-kun! I’m Komaeda Nagito.” He offers a small smile before retracting his hand and resuming his nervous fidgeting. 

“So… what’s your major?” At this point, Hinata should just put them both out of their misery and end the awkward encounter, but he prevails through the conversation. 

“Ah, I’m an English major. Pretty run of the mill, huh?” 

Hinata chuckles, “I suppose so, considering I’m also an English major.”

“O-oh! I’m so sorry if my comment offended you in any way! I’m sure you’re not at all as painfully average as someone like me.” 

Hinata briefly muses over it, deciding to ignore his peer’s excessive self-deprecation. “It’s fine. Though it is a little strange that I’ve never had a class with you before. I’m sure I would remember if I saw someone that looked like you.” He momentarily takes in Komaeda’s appearance. His hair is a striking shade of white, and he looks almost alarmingly thin. Combined with his skin’s almost sickly pale color, Hinata could easily mistake him for someone deathly ill. Everything about him seems almost washed out, and like it’s slowly withering away. Even his eyes were an ashen mix of green and grey. Hinata definitely would have remembered seeing someone like him. He notes that he’s dressed unusually warm for early September. Komaeda’s dressed in an oversized olive sweater that looked like it was going to swallow his lithe frame completely, pulled over what looks like some sort of red button-up or flannel shirt. His pants were dark, almost black, and there was a chain clipped around his belt loops. The darkness of his jeans starkly contrasts the white of his boots. He assumes that the shoes were either new or that Komaeda meticulously cleaned them whenever they got dirty. Likely the latter. Hinata himself didn’t put too much effort into getting dressed. Sure, it’s the first day of a new semester, but he’s a tired, broke college student who doesn’t have the luxury of self-care or keeping up appearances. A simple grey hoodie and cuffed jeans combo will suffice. 

Komaeda lets out a light laugh, drawing Hinata out of his brief once over of the boy beside him. “Oh, well, that makes sense. I just transferred here this semester.” 

“Really, how come?” 

“Ah, well, I’m actually from here. I used to go to a university out of the city. I transferred here because my grandmother was in the hospital recently. She has dementia, so I moved here to take better care of her, in case her current condition worsens.” 

“Oh,” Hinata replies oh-so-eloquently. “I’m sorry, that’s terrible.” 

“It’s fine,” Komaeda waves him off, “I’m used to having pretty bad luck. Maybe sitting next to someone as nice as you is some good luck to balance out the bad.”

“Y-you can’t say that. You’ve only just met me.”

Komaeda shakes his head, “No, I’m sure that Hinata-kun is a kind person.” 

“W-whatever…” Hinata trails off. He doesn’t feel like trying to argue against Komaeda’s strange compliment. 

“So, Hinata-kun, why did you decide to become an English major?”

“Ah, well, I didn’t really put too much thought into it at first. It just seemed like what was easiest at the time.” He suddenly feels embarrassed for such a lame reason. “B-but, uh, I think that I would like to go into an education concentration.” 

“Oh?” Komaeda’s eyes seem to light up a little, “Do you enjoy working with children, Hinata-kun?” 

“Um, I guess? I don’t know, it just kind of feels right?” He all of a sudden feels embarrassed again. 

“That’s nice,” he gives Hinata a small smile, “that you’ve found something that feels right for you.”

“Well, what about you? Why did you choose to be an English major?” 

“I want to write books.” He replies simply.

“Really?” Hinata asks, hoping that Komaeda will divulge further. 

“Ever since I was really young, books have been kind of a coping mechanism for me. I guess you could say I’m a classic case of escapism.” He lets out a short chuckle before continuing. “One day, I realized that I could write books like those I loved to read so much and that those books might work as an escape for someone like me who needs it. Ah, sorry if I’m getting a little sidetracked.” Another nervous laugh slips past his lips. “I don’t think I’m that good of a writer, though.” 

“I actually think that’s really admirable. And I would love to read your work sometime. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think it is. I’ve known you for, like, ten minutes, and I can already tell that you’re the type to sell yourself short.” 

A blush rises on Komaeda’s face, and Hinata’s afraid that he might have said something wrong or embarrassed the boy beside him, but the corners of his mouth twitch into a small smile as he replies. “If...if you would really like to, I don’t think that I would mind letting you read my writing. To think that someone like Hinata-kun is interested in my work, I truly am lucky.” Hinata is about to reply but is suddenly cut off by their distressed looking professor who is frantically setting up their computer and hastily scrawling an introduction onto the previously blank whiteboard. 

Hinata isn’t quite sure if he believes in this strange luck that Komaeda claims he has, and he isn’t sure if it’s good or bad. But he is sure that Komaeda proceeded to share two more different classes with Hinata over their first week, each of which Komaeda managed to secure the chair next to Hinata’s. This is definitely going to be an interesting semester. 


	2. chapter two

“How many times do I have to tell you not to do that shit in here?!”

Eyes blearily and reluctantly pull themselves open, struggling to focus as Hinata futilely attempts to blink away the tiredness that seems to be always hanging over his body. 

“It’s not that big of a deal, man! You don’t have to get yourself so worked up about it.” 

With a groan, Hinata hoists himself up and grabs his phone, rubbing sleepily at his face as he tries to make out the time that’s glowing back up to him from his phone screen. 

“Shit,” he mumbles, finally registering the time. Hinata is more of an early riser than most, and it’s fairly unlike him to sleep in till late morning. He supposes the first week must have tired him out more than he thought. 

“It’s fucking annoying as shit, dude!”

Kuzuryu’s growling shouts isn’t exactly how he was hoping to start his weekend. Heaving out an exhausted groan, Hinata drags himself out of the confines of the comforting warmth of his bed and fumbles around for the nearest pair of sweatpants he can find and pulls them over his boxers. Even if his roommates don’t have the courtesy to not engage in a yelling match at 10:30 in the morning, he will at least have the decency to put on some pants before discerning the source of their squabbling.

“I don’t understand what the problem is!” 

Hinata enters his shared living room, the source of the incessant yelling that had torn him away from his much-needed rest. Kuzuryu is standing in the middle of the room in front of the couch, face flushing with anger as he yells at Souda, who is slouching against the sofa, mouth furrowing in confusion as he messily brushes his hair out of his face with a frustrated sigh. Hinata does a quick doubletake of Souda’s appearance, a loose-fitting tank top, and a pair of grey joggers with a blue sweatshirt hastily tied around his waist. His eyes next take in the vape pen Souda had discarded into his lap in favour of talking more aggressively with his hands - _ah, so that’s it._

“The fucking problem is that it’s gross. It smells like shitty artificial strawberries in here! If you’re going to smoke that shit, at least have some fucking taste and get shit that isn’t gross as hell.” 

Kuzuryu turns to walk out of the living room, flipping Souda off as he brushes past him with a huff.

“That doesn’t mean you have to get so angry and yell about it!” Souda shouts at Kuzuryu, standing up from his position on the couch as he does so. 

“Fuck off!” Kuzuryu growls back, seething as he slams the door to his room shut with a loud bang. 

Souda angrily takes a long inhale from the pen and pointedly blows the smoke in the direction of Kuzuryu’s bedroom. “Whatever,” He breathes out with a short cough, stuffing the vape into his pocket, “I’m trying to quit anyway.” He then belligerently plops back down onto the couch, assuming his previous position as he mumbles to himself. 

A deep frown forms onto Hinata’s face as he watches Souda fiddle with his hair in frustration. It wasn’t unusual for his roommates to argue with each other or for Kuzuryu to lose his temper, but he has never been this explosive out of nowhere before. Sure, his fuse was pretty short, but it wasn’t easy to antagonize Kuzuryu to the point that he’d explode on Souda or Hinata like that. 

“Do you have any idea what might have caused that?” Hinata asks as he moves further into the living room, resting against the arm of the sofa as he raises his eyebrows expectantly at Souda.

“I don’t know. Girl problems, maybe? How the hell am I supposed to know.” 

Hinata gives him a noncommittal hum in response, and his gaze shifts from the exasperated Souda to Kuzuryu’s firmly shut bedroom door. 

“I’m gonna go for a walk,” Souda says, once again standing up from his leisurely position on the couch. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” 

And with his roommate’s sudden departure, Hinata is left alone in the stagnant silence of his shared university dorm. Hinata heaves out a tired sigh before standing up and stretching his arms above his head with a groan, “You two are going to be the death of me.” He says to himself quietly, a mix of fondness and exasperation seeping into his voice.

With newfound awakeness, Hinata grabs a couple of clean cups from the cupboard and makes his way back to his room to rustle through the cabinet in his bedside table. After the fifth time Hinata’s kusamochi had been unceremoniously stolen by one of his roommates, he learned to hide important snacks in his room.

“Ah! Found it.” Hinata pulls a plastic package and a glass bottle out of his cabinet and retrieves the cups he had set aside earlier before knocking on Kuzuryu’s door. 

“I’m coming in,” Hinata announces before his roommate could respond and enters the latter’s bedroom. Kuzuryu is half lying off of his bed, kicking his feet in simmering anger. 

“Piss off, Hinata.” He says, muffled from the pillow Kuzuryu is shoving his face into. 

“How rude,” Hinata says, voice dripping with sarcasm. He moves further into the room and takes a seat on the edge of his roommate’s bed. “How could you say something like that to your best friend, your brother,” Kuzuryu groans in response, pointedly kicking his foot into Hinata’s side. “I even brought you karintou.” 

Kuzuryu’s foot suddenly stills. He slowly lifts his head from the pillow and looks at Hinata, who gives him a smug grin and gestures with the packaged karintou for emphasis, “I have your favourite non-alcoholic wine, too.”

“You bastard, where have you been hiding these?!” Kuzuryu shoots up from his position on the bed, eagerly grasping for the bag of karintou. Hinata quickly moves it out of his reach.

“I’ve had it stashed away in case of a special occasion.” He chuckles. “But,” He raises the package higher, “You don’t get any until you talk to me about what’s going on.”

Kuzuryu’s hands drop into his lap, and he grumbles to himself, heat quickly rising on his face. After a minute or two or nothing but fidgeting and mumbles from Kuzuryu, Hinata is ready to give in. He and Kuzuryu are close, but he doesn’t want to force the other to talk if he doesn’t feel comfortable. Just as Hinata is about to lower the karintou, Kuzuryu finally speaks up.

“It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Hinata replies without hesitation. “Whatever it is that’s bothering you like this, it’s not stupid. Your feelings are important, so don’t invalidate yourself and act like they don’t matter. And even if it is stupid, which it isn’t, I wouldn’t judge you or think any less of you. You’re one of my best friends, Fuyuhiko. Nothing will change that.” 

The flush on Kuzuryu’s face grows darker, and he huffs out a sigh, “Are you sure you don’t want to change your major and become a therapist or something?” 

“W-what? Why would I do something like that? Being a therapist sounds like a lot of pressure. I just say what feels right because we’re friends. If I did something like this with anyone else, I definitely wouldn’t know what to say.” 

“Well, whatever, it’s fine.” Kuzuryu sighs again. “I…” He grumbles incoherently for a moment, trying to find his words. Hinata sits and waits patiently for Kuzuryu to collect his thoughts, placing the bag of karintou down against the bed.

“Argh, fuck it, I’m just gonna say it.” Kuzuryu takes a deep breath and looks Hinata in the eye. “I’m having a sexuality crisis, and I think I have feelings for Souda.” 

“...What.” 

Kuzuryu groans and rubs his face in frustration. “I’m having a fucking gay crisis, dude.” 

“O-okay. Can you, um, tell me more about it?” 

“I don’t know when it fucking happened, but it did. Sometime during summer break, it hit me like a ton of fucking bricks. And I don’t really understand any of it, but all I know is that any time I see Souda’s stupid fucking annoying face, I want to kiss him, and I’m fucking freaking out about it, and I don’t know what to do.” 

“Okay, I gotcha. This is a huge deal, and it’s really confusing. Have you ever felt like this for another guy before?” 

“No. Fuck, man, the only person I’ve ever felt like this with was Peko. It never even crossed my mind that guys could be an option. I just finally got over my feelings for her, and now I’m getting barraged with feelings for fucking Souda of all people?! Was it this confusing for you?” 

“Um, a little? I mean, everyone’s experience is different. I always found both guys and girls attractive, but I’ve never had a major crush on anyone. Unless you count Nanami in high school, but that lasted for, like a month, and even then it wasn’t as bad as how your’s sounds.”

Kuzuryu groans and flops over on his bed, covering his face with his hands, “I’m so fucked, dude. Ever since we moved back in, I’ve been on edge. And you know how my parents are, I highly fucking doubt they’d take this well.”

Hinata flops down next to Kuzuryu and stares up at the ceiling. “Have you talked to your sister about this yet?”

“No,” Kuzuryu says, “I should. She’s always been much better at relationship shit. She’d probably hit me over the back of the head and tell me to stop being such a pussy and ask Souda out.” Kuzuryu whips his hands off of his face and turns to Hinata, “That’s not happening, by the way. No fucking way, I’m not asking him out.” 

“You don’t have to,” Hinata replies. “But I think you should. He’d probably say yes.”

“Don’t say shit you don’t know is true or not with such confidence. And doesn’t he have the hots for that European bitch? Sonia, whatever?” 

“You know how Souda is. He barely even knows her. I’m sure I can get him to snap out of it.”

“Hey, hey, don’t go meddling in this. No wingman shit, okay?” 

“Fine, whatever you say. Now, come on, let’s crack open this wine and have some karintou.” Hinata sits up and grabs the bottle of non-alcoholic wine and carefully pops the bottle’s cork, pouring each of them half a glass. They talk a bit more as they drink, discussing how their first week of classes went. Kuzuryu explains some of the business classes he’s taking this semester, which goes entirely over Hinata’s head. Business was never really his thing. Hinata, in turn, tells Kuzuryu about his classes and about Komaeda, who he shares several classes with.

“He’s a bit eccentric and a little weird, but he seems nice. And he’s actually very smart and easy to talk to once the conversation gets going.”

“Sounds a little like a creep to me,” Kuzuryu says, downing the rest of his glass. There’s a soft knocking at the door, and Souda peeks into the room.

“Uh, is it okay if I come in?” 

Hinata throws a quick glance at Kuzuryu, who stares intently into his empty cup for a short moment before replying.

“Of course. Stop moping at my door like a damn kicked puppy and get in here already.” Kuzuryu dismissively shoves a handful of karintou into his mouth and does his best to subside the heat rising in his cheeks.

“I, uh, wanted to say I’m sorry for earlier,” Souda says, taking a seat on the bed with Kuzuryu and Hinata. “You’re my friend, so I should do my best not to do things that make you upset.” Souda nervously rubs the back of his neck, avoiding Kuzuryu’s eyes. 

“It’s fine,” Kuzuryu says after swallowing his mouthful of sweets, “I’m sorry too, I overreacted. I’ve been a bit stressed out lately and took it out on you. That was unfair of me. S-so, we’re even, okay? Don’t go moping around and feeling guilty all day.” 

Souda looks up, his eyes welling with tears as he throws his arms around Kuzuryu. “I’m sorry, Kuzuryu, I won’t do it ever again! I love you and Hinata. You guys are my best friends!”

“H-hey! Get off of me, you clingy bastard! And didn’t I just tell you it was fine?!”

Hinata laughs as he watches his roommates return to their usual dynamic. “If we get a noise complaint about this morning, you guys have to deal with the residence hall director. And next time you two decide to argue with each other, maybe wait until I’m awake.”

“Ahh, Hinata!” Souda wails and turns to hang off of Hinata this time. Kuzuryu lets out a long, loud groan and collapses back onto the bed.

Hinata and Kuzuryu resume their idle conversation, now with Souda, who’s splayed out between the two and hogging the bag of karintou. Hinata briefly drifts off from the conversation when he feels his phone vibrate against his leg in the pocket of his sweatpants. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Hinata checks his notifications and sees that he has a text from Nanami.

“Oh, shit,” Hinata mumbles, “I almost completely forgot that I’m supposed to meet with Nanami.”

“Again?” Souda asks through a mouth-full of karintou. “I don’t know how you could forget. You guys are always getting coffee together.” His lips suddenly curl into a knowing smirk, and he cocks his eyebrows at Hinata. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Hinata lightly shoves Souda’s shoulder and laughs, “Come on, man, you know Nanami and I aren’t dating.” 

“But you like her, right?” Hinata shakes his head, and Souda gapes at him incredulously. “Well, you have to like someone, right? I mean, I’ve got Sonia-san and Kuzuryu has Pekoyama. All that’s missing from the equation is you. Come one, Hinata, join our pining pity party.” Souda bats his eyelashes dramatically, and Hinata has to fight to keep in the annoyed groan he wants to let out. But, Souda’s plea does get the gears in Hinata’s head churning. He racks his brain, mentally running through the list of all of his friends, but he comes up blank. 

“Whatever,” Souda moans, and the conversation drifts off to something different. 

\---

“Shit,” Hinata mutters as he loses another round to Nanami. 

She sets down her joycon, yawns, and takes a long sip from her iced coffee, “Are you feeling alright, Hinata-kun? You’ve been kind of distracted today.”

Hinata sighs and stares into his cup, mulling over if he should tell her about that morning’s events that are still in the forefront of his mind. “Something happened earlier this morning between Kuzuryu and Souda.” He finally says.

Nanami furrows her eyebrows in concern. “It wasn’t anything bad, was it? I know that those two squabble a lot, but it’s not like them to actually fight with each other, I think.” 

“I thought it was weird, too,” Hinata says, finally looking up from his once piping hot coffee. “I talked to Kuzuryu about it, because I could tell that something was up. It took a bit of convincing before he finally told me about it, though.” Nanami nods in interest, lethargically sucking down more of her coffee. “And he told me that he has feelings for Souda.”

“Oh,” Nanami says, “Doesn’t he like Sonia-san?”

“Yeah,” Hinata sighs and looks back down into his cup, swirling the dark, cooled liquid, watching as it laps at the edges of the mug before running back down into a pool of coffee at the bottom. “I want to help somehow, but Kuzuryu doesn’t want me to get involved.”

“It’s for the best, maybe…” Nanami says absent-mindedly, staring up at the ceiling as she thinks for a moment. “Yeah, it’s probably better that Kuzuryu-kun and Souda-kun work it out for themselves, I think.” 

“Knowing those two, they won’t work anything out,” Hinata says and grimaces after taking a sip from the room temperature coffee. “Anyways, Souda came back, apologized, and they made up. And then Souda started going on about how I don’t have a crush on anyone and whined about having a pity party, or something and… hey, wait a second.” Hinata drifts off from what he was saying, getting distracted by a glimpse of unruly, curly white hair entering the café. 

“What is it?” Nanami asks, turning to look behind to try and see what captured her friend’s attention. 

“It’s one of my classmates. The one I told you about, Komaeda.” Hinata says, his gaze never leaving the person in question. Eyes trail the boy’s slender frame as he orders his drink, hands fiddling with the strap of an expensive-looking brown leather canvas messenger bag hanging loosely off his broad shoulder. He’s dressed in an oversized dark green turtleneck with thin, white pinstripes. The contrast of the bulky sweater and tight, black jeans it’s tucked into at the smallest part of his waist shows just how skinny Komaeda is. Hinata is almost concerned but gets distracted by the sunlight reflecting off the chain clipped around Komaeda’s belt loop. He notes that Komaeda’s usually unkempt hair is pulled back into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck, a couple of black hairclips pin his bangs out of his face. Hinata doesn’t realize he’s staring until Komaeda turns around, and their eyes lock for a few seconds. He finally breaks eye contact when Nanami nudges his arm. She gives him a pointed look.

“What?!” He whispers exasperatedly, shushing Nanami’s formulating response when he sees Komaeda approach their corner of the café.

“Um…” Komaeda frets the straw of his drink between his fingers, it looks to be a plain iced black coffee, and avoids looking Hinata in the eye.

“I’m going to order another drink,” Nanami says abruptly, standing up from her seat.

Hinata gives her an indignified, panicked squawk, to which Nanami responds by gesturing with her empty cup and jerking her head in Komaeda’s direction. Nanami turns her back on Hinata and makes her way to the front of the café. He doesn’t know if he should be appalled or unsurprised by his high school best friend’s utter betrayal. 

“Ah, how rude of me to interrupt you during your free time,” Komaeda mutters disdainfully, picking at the skin beneath his nails. “And when you’re on a coffee date no less! How abhorrent of me to intrude on such an important occasion.” 

“Y-you’re fine, Nanami and I get coffee together all of the time. It’s really not that big of a deal, so don’t get so worked up.” Hinata dismisses him. “Do you want to join us?” The words leave his mouth before he’s even fully processed them himself. He can’t help but feel that proposing Komaeda to sit with him is an invitation for misfortune. Komaeda is a bit strange and eccentric, but he surely can’t be as bad as Kuzuryu and Souda assume. Perhaps he’s just overthinking this too much? Pushing the confusing muddle of emotions ranging from concern to anxiety to intrigue deep down inside him, he brings his attention back to the boy in question before him. Komaeda is nervously stressing the hem of his sweater as he mulls over Hinata’s request. 

“I-I would hate to impose and ruin such a lovely moment with a precious friend of Hinata-kun’s, but… if you don’t mind, then I would love to join you.” Komaeda hesitantly pulls over a chair from a nearby table, and stiltedly sits down next to Hinata. 

“So,” Hinata says awkwardly and then clears his throat. “You take your coffee black?”

“Huh?” Komaeda looks down at his drink and then back up to Hinata. “Oh! Yes, I usually order the cold brew without any milk or sugar. I’m not a huge fan of sweets.” 

Hinata laughs, “My roommate would be outraged.”

Komaeda lets out a breathy chuckle and smiles, “Do you like sweets, Hinata-kun?”

Hinata hums as he briefly ponders his question, “I wouldn’t say that I have a preference for them, but I do enjoy sweets. One of my roommates, Kuzuryu, loves sweets. But he’ll never admit it.”

Komaeda laughs lightly as he readjusts one of the clips pinning back his bangs. “Hey,” Hinata says, “You painted your nails.” Komaeda pulls his hand back and looks at the matte coating on his short, blunt nails.

“Ah, I have, how observant of you, Hinata-kun!” He pauses for a moment before he continues, musing over the chipped black nail polish on the tip of his thumbnail. “I have a nasty habit of biting my nails. I recently read that painting your nails can help keep you from biting them, and I figured it was worth trying. I also think nail polish looks quite pretty, don’t you? I understand why someone would bite them less when they’re painted.” 

“Y-yeah,” Hinata mumbles before changing the topic. “Do you come here often? Nanami and I grab coffee here almost every day, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before.”

“Ah,” Komaeda tears his gaze away from his fingernails and smiles. “I actually used to come here fairly often before I moved away. I enjoy writing in coffee shops because of the quiet atmosphere. However, this is my first time back at this café in a couple of years.”

“That’s right. I remember you mentioned that you’re a writer.”

“Oh, wow, I didn’t think you’d remember something so insignificant like that, haha. You must be very perceptive, Hinata-kun!”

“Well, you seemed really passionate about it. Of course, I would remember. And I’d still love to read your stuff sometime.” 

Heat rises on Komaeda’s face, “Really?” He shuffles with his bag for a moment, “I really don’t think that I’m a very good writer, and I’m sure that you wouldn’t want to soil your eyes with my poor, disdainful writing abilities.”

“Geez, I already said that I wanted to read it, didn’t I? I’m not going to force you or anything, but you really shouldn’t talk down about yourself like that.”

“R-right…” Komaeda mumbles, fidgeting with the clasp on his bag for a short moment before pulling out his laptop. “It’s only a few outlines and drafts for a couple of scenes. I really don’t have that much done. I’m pretty dreadful at keeping up with my writing.” He pulls up a document and briefly scrolls through it before sliding the laptop over to Hinata. 

There is a surprising amount of content on the document for only a few drafts and outlines. Hinata is almost afraid that he’ll take too long to read it, and Komaeda will be left fidgeting while he reads. Still, he peruses through the paragraphs and hastily typed out bullet points. Hinata tries to hold back some of his surprise when he realizes that it’s a thriller novel. With the way Komaeda had talked about coping and escapism, he hadn’t expected his writing to be so… suspenseful and intense. When Hinata finally finishes, he leans back in his chair with a sigh and brushes his hair back out of his face.

“What do you think?” Komaeda asks, hands gripping eagerly at the edge of his bag as he awaits Hinata’s response with bated breath.

“It’s, wow… this is really good, Komaeda.” Hinata breathes out, scrolling his way back up through the document.

Komaeda cocks his head to the side and furrows his eyebrows as if he’s trying to read Hinata to see if he’s lying. “You really think so?”

“Of course,” Hinata says, “I can tell just by your writing that this is something that you’re really passionate about. The way you write some of the imagery in your drafts, it’s almost disturbing. I-in a good way, I mean. Uh, yeah, so,” Hinata clears his throat and coughs awkwardly into his fist, “I really think you shouldn’t drag yourself down so much. You should be more confident in yourself and your writing. You’ve got real talent.” 

“Talent? Haha, to be praised and receive such kind words of encouragement from someone like Hinata-kun, how hopeful. I wonder what kind of bad luck will come from something like this…” Komaeda mumbles to himself and grips the edge of his sweater as if he were hugging himself. This definitely wasn’t the reaction Hinata was expecting. 

“Hey, what about that writing thing that we were assigned a couple of days ago?” Hinata asks, recalling the “write a short essay about yourself” type of work they were assigned. “I’ve never really been good at those. Do you enjoy assignments like that?”

“No,” Komaeda says, a deep frown settling on his face. “I hate writing things like that.”

“Oh,” Hinata says and shifts uncomfortably in his chair. “Well, would you like to work together on it? Since neither of us is very good at writing something like that. You could come over if you want?” Shit, what the hell is he saying? He barely knows Komaeda, and he should at least check with Kuzuryu and Souda before inviting someone over.

“Are you sure? You really want to work with someone like me?” Komaeda’s hands find themselves back around his arms, clinging to the sweater that he’s practically drowning in.

“Yeah, of course. If you’re free today, we can head over to my place after this. If not, we can reschedule for some other time this week?”

“Today works for me,” Komaeda replies.

“Oh, Komaeda,” Hinata asks, deciding to direct the conversation to something else, “You mentioned before that you live with your grandmother, right?” Komaeda nods in response, slowly unclinging from himself as Hinata speaks. “Well, I guess I was wondering why you don’t live with your parents or why they couldn’t take care of her.”

Komaeda chuckles, “Oh, well, that’s quite simple, Hinata-kun. You see, my parents died when I was in elementary school, and my grandfather passed away before I was born, so it’s just been my grandmother and me for a long time.” 

Hinata didn’t understand how Komaeda could say something so upsetting with such a carefree tone. “So, your grandmother is the only family you have left?”

“Ah, well, I guess that’s not completely true.” Komaeda says, “I do have an aunt, uncle, and cousin, but they live in Europe. When I was little, we used to spend every summer with them, and my cousin and I were quite close. But, after my parents passed away, I only saw them every few years for holidays, and I receive the occasional letter or phone call. Actually, the last time I spoke with them was last year. My cousin mentioned that she had an interest in studying abroad in Japan.”

“Oh,” Hinata says, not quite sure how he’s supposed to reply to something like that.

Then, Nanami decides to make her reappearance, taking a seat in the chair across from Hinata.

“You were gone for a while.” Hinata looks at Nanami’s already half-empty coffee.

“Huh? I was?” Nanami asks, tilting her head to the side and feigning confusion.

“N-nevermind…” Hinata grumbles.

Nanami starts up another few rounds of smash and invites Komaeda to join them, but he declines, saying that he’s more than content to watch and that he probably wouldn’t be very good at it anyway. After those few more matches finish, each of which Nanami won, Hinata and Komaeda part ways from Nanami, heading back to Hinata’s shared apartment. Hinata does have the mind to send his roommates a text that he’s bringing Komaeda back with him. Souda replies with a stream of displeased emojis and reaction images. Kuzuryu leaves him on read.

When the two finally arrive outside the door to Hinata’s apartment, Komaeda starts fraying nervously with the paws of his sweater. “Is it really okay for me to come over? Would it be better if we rescheduled for a time when your roommates weren’t home? I wouldn’t want to be a nuisance to them.”

“Trust me. They’ll be more of a nuisance than you,” Hinata says, digging his keys out of his pocket to unlock the door. “And we’re already here anyway. We might as well go in.”

Hinata unlocks the door to his apartment, immediately bombarded with the aggravated groans of Souda. Kuzuryu is sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of coffee, and Souda is sprawled out on top of him, legs hanging off of the sofa as he whines at his phone screen.

“What is it this time?” Hinata asks exasperatedly, kicking his shoes off at the door. 

“It’s Sonia-san!” Souda moans. “She has a boyfriend!”

“She has a roommate.” Kuzuryu clarifies. He looks tired from having to put up with Souda’s wailing while Hinata was gone. 

“A guy roommate! And the dude’s fucking hot. There’s no way they aren’t involved.” Souda rolls around in frustration until Kuzuryu kicks him off the couch, and he lands on their carpeted floor with a loud thud. 

“How did you find out about this roommate anyway?” Hinata asks, helping Souda up from the floor.

“Well, you mentioned that Nanami is friends with Sonia-san, so I thought that I’d take your advice and ask her about Sonia-san.” Souda opens his messages and begins to scroll through his conversation with Nanami. “She started talking about some of Sonia-san’s hobbies and stuff. And then she mentioned that she has a roommate named Tanaka, who works at an animal shelter. A fucking animal shelter, dude! Chicks eat the shit up, how am I supposed to compete with that? And then she sent me this fucking picture.” 

Souda, practically sobbing, shoves his phone into Kuzuryu, Hinata, and Komaeda’s faces. It’s a photo of Nanami, Sonia, and the roommate in question. Nanami is the one taking the picture, and she looks like she hasn’t slept in days (but then again, that’s how Nanami always looks). Despite her apparent tiredness, she’s giving the camera a bright smile and a lopsided peace sign. Sonia is between the two, her arms thrown around the others’ shoulders, dragging her roommate in for the photo. Her eyes are a bright turkish blue colour that reminds Hinata of sea glass, and the joy in her eyes reflects evidently in the camera. Her hair is styled meticulously into soft, champagne blonde rivulets that perfectly frame her flushed, pale face. Her roommate, Tanaka, looks startled and completely taken off-guard by the sudden photo, his dove-grey eyes wide and staring at Sonia in flustered shock. His black hair looks like he just messily swept it out of his face, and he’s gently gripping a small puppy in his hands. He supposes Souda is right to be worried. Her roommate is very handsome.

“Sonia Nevermind?” 

Hinata’s attention tears away from the photo to Komaeda, who looks suddenly very daunted by the photo, his fair, soft-edged eyebrows knit over wet, upturned eyes. Souda and Kuzuryu turn to Hinata, visibly confused. Hinata sends them back an equally confused shrug. 

“Ah, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Souda-kun,” Komaeda says after a brief pause, letting out a small chuckle as he places his hand on Souda’s shoulder, “Sonia-san is gay.”

Souda nearly has a mental breakdown. It felt like it had taken hours for Hinata, Kuzuryu, and Komaeda to console the heartbroken boy. In Kuzuryu’s room, he’s wrapped in a blanket and mourning over a bowl of ice cream while partaking in an impromptu Disney marathon with Kuzuryu. 

“They seem like they’d make a nice couple,” Komaeda says, gazing down the hallway to Kuzuryu’s open bedroom door. The two boys slumped onto the bed while Ratatouille played on Kuzuryu’s laptop. 

“H-huh?”

“Ah, well, Kuzuryu-kun does have feelings for Souda-kun, right?”

“Well, yeah, but how did you know?”

Komaeda shrugs his shoulders, “His body language is different when talking to Souda-kun than when he’s talking to you or me. And he also stares at Souda-kun when he thinks no one else is looking.” 

“Really? I never noticed it. Though, Nanami does say that I’m pretty oblivious to when people are flirting or coming on to me.”

Komaeda laughs. “Perhaps you aren’t that perceptive, Hinata-kun. I’ll have to keep that in mind, though!”

“H-hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Komaeda laughs again, “Nothing, I’m just teasing.” 

“Komaeda,” Hinata says, the tone of his voice dropping. “I wanted to ask you… by any chance, is Sonia your cousin?”

Komaeda pauses for a moment, his hands fiddling restlessly with the hem of his sweater before he finally nods in response, “I was right the first time, you are very observant, Hinata-kun. Yes, Sonia-san is my cousin.”

“Did you know she transferred here?”

Komaeda shook his head.

“Do… do you plan on talking to her?”

Komaeda stops, staring intensely at the striped hem of his sweater. “I… I don’t know,” Komaeda finally answers. “I haven’t actually spoken to Sonia-san in years.”

“Why haven’t you?” Hinata asks.

“I wouldn’t want to bother them with such disappointing trash like myself. I’m too disdainful for someone like Sonia-san, who is full of hope.”

“Listen, just,” Hinata sighs and runs his hands through his hair in exasperation. “Cut the self-deprecation and hope talk bull shit for a few seconds, okay? I know that you may not have spoken to Sonia recently, but I have. I don’t think she’s the type of person who would think of you or treat you like trash. I think that she’d actually be happy to see you.”

It’s silent between them for a moment before Komaeda gives Hinata a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I appreciate your encouragement, Hinata-kun. However, it isn’t quite that simple, I’m afraid.”

“Just…” Hinata pauses, looking into Komaeda’s dull, ashlike eyes that were clouding with an emotion that he couldn’t quite discern. “Just think about it, okay?”

“Okay, Hinata-kun.” Komaeda answers.

Hinata groans and flops down onto the sofa, “Sorry that we didn’t really get any work done today. I told you that they’d end up being the nuisances.”

“Haha, perhaps you were right, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda says, gingerly taking a seat next to Hinata. “However, I wouldn’t mind coming over again to work more on our assignment.” 

“We could exchange phone numbers. It’ll be easier to communicate that way.” Hinata says. 

“I would be honoured, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda replies, giving Hinata another smile, one that does reach his eyes, and suddenly they don’t seem as dull as they were before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi sorry i couldn't stop thinking about my unitentional sexual tension between souda and kuzuryu, so i modified my outline for some background kuzusouda and now all tension is intentional haha (i'm sorry peko and kuzupeko stans. i love kuzuryu and pekoyama so much i promise i'll write some background kuzupeko some other time. also rip soudam shippers (and sondham shippers), that background romance was also scrapped).


	3. chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> quick TW for self-harm in this chapter! it's very minor but please be aware of it and stay safe ((:

Hinata steps out into the hallway, closing the door to his bedroom behind him. His arms quickly find themselves wrapped around his sides. He’s freezing, despite his joggers and the dark blue crewneck sweater that he pulled on soon after he left the confines of his warm bed. He even broke out a pair of fuzzy socks from his underwear drawer that probably haven’t seen the light of day since last winter. He shuffles his way along the hallway, grasping for the thermostat once he reaches the living room, electricity bill be damned. He’s already forked over thousands of dollars to the school; they can spare a few extra for decent heating.

Waiting for the apartment to warm up to his standards, Hinata becomes distracted from the smell of something cooking in the kitchen, shuffling his way to find the source of the scent.

“You’re cooking?” He asks, a lilt of surprise in his voice from finding Kuzuryu standing in the kitchen, dressed in a dark sweater and jeans. Hinata is usually the designated cook among his roommates, which is a generous title, considering Kuzuryu is too impatient to wait for boxed pasta to boil, and Souda couldn’t muster up an edible meal if he tried. Not even coaching from Hanamura could save him. The culinary arts major actually banned Souda from coming within a five-foot radius of an oven since the premixed brownie incident freshman year.

“It’s just toast,” Kuzuryu replies, stepping out of the way to reveal the household toaster he’d dug out from one of their cabinets and plugged into the wall. As if on cue, two browned slices of bread popped out from the toaster. Kuzuryu plucks the slices of bread from the toaster, shoving one in his mouth as he walks past Hinata and begins to toe into his shoes that are sitting by the door. 

“Where are you heading off to?” Hinata asks, watching as his roommate pulls on a jacket. 

“Hanging out with Natsumi today,” He says, “We’re going to have breakfast and talk about the… _thing_.” His voice becomes a whisper as his eyes move from Hinata to Souda’s closed bedroom door. Souda has been moping around since the news about Sonia and has only left his room for food, class, and meeting with his semester-long project partner, Iruma. He’s probably still asleep or too busy crying over cheesy romcoms to overhear their conversation. Still, Hinata figures it’s best to keep quiet just in case and gives Kuzuryu a curt nod.

“How long will you be out?” Hinata asks.

“Not sure,” Kuzuryu gives him a noncommittal shrug, “Probably most of the day. She has this new café or something that she wants to try out. It’s on the other side of town. Why?”

“Well, I was planning on working on this essay thing with Komaeda today. Souda is working on his project over at Iruma’s, and I was hoping that you’d have something to do as well. Komaeda is kind of weird about coming over while you guys are here. N-not that he doesn’t like you! He just has this idea that he’ll be a burden or something.”

Kuzuryu scoffs and shakes his head, “I told you that guy’s weird.”

“Maybe a little,” Hinata says, “But he really isn’t that bad. He’s actually kind of chill? You guys just have to get to know each other. I’m sure you’d get along.”

“Sure, whatever. I’ll see you later,” Kuzuryu says, opening the door and exiting the apartment.

Not too long after Kuzuryu heads out, Souda emerges from his room, sullen, and leaves to work on his project with Iruma. Now, having the apartment to himself, Hinata pops open his laptop and tries to get a head start on his essay while waiting for Komaeda to arrive. Opening the document, Hinata stares at the cursor, blinking on the blank page, hoping to manifest something, but his concentration is broken by the sound of someone knocking at the door - _wait, has he really just been staring at a blank word document for the past twenty minutes?_

Shaking his head, Hinata sets down his computer and walks toward the door, opening it to reveal Komaeda standing on the other side. He’s dressed in a muted laurel green sweater that matches his eyes tucked into a pair of light stone-washed jeans, cuffed up to reveal a pair of black and white striped socks and the same white boots he’s worn the first day they met, “Hello, Hinata-kun!” He says enthusiastically, a bright smile on his face.

“Um, hey,” Hinata says, opening the door wider to allow Komaeda into his apartment.

“I hope you weren’t waiting too long,” Komaeda says as he removes his boots by the door, still as impeccably white as they were the last time Hinata saw them.

“No, not at all,” Hinata remarks, “I was just trying to brainstorm some on this essay.”

“Oh?” Komaeda asks, taking a seat on the couch and taking out his own laptop, “Any luck?”

“Uhh,” Hinata takes a seat next to Komaeda and repositions his computer so they can see the abysmal state of his essay, “Not really.”

“Ah,” Komeada laughs, “I see.”

“It’s just that I’m not really sure what to write,” Hinata says, slumping down into the couch in defeat.

“It’s supposed to be an essay about ourselves, right? Maybe it will help if we talk it out. You already know quite a bit about me. So, tell me about your life, Hinata-kun.”

“Well,” He starts, setting down his computer, “There really isn’t all that much to know about me. My life really isn’t that interesting.”

Komaeda quirks up an eyebrow and sends him a teasing look as if to say, _“Seriously? Surely there’s more you can say than that, Hinata-kun.”_

“Okay, fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you if you end up bored halfway through.” Hinata closes his laptop with an exasperated huff and turns to face Komaeda. In response, Komaeda perks up and pulls his knees close to his chest, eager to give Hinata his undivided attention.

“I would say I had an average childhood. I was an only child, I did really well in school, and overall a pretty happy kid.” Hinata pauses for a moment, thinking over what he should say next as Komaeda gives him an encouraging nod. “My parents got divorced when I was in middle school. Which was a bit distressing, I guess. But I wasn’t too bothered by it. It was a pretty easy split, and my parents got joint custody, so not much changed in the grand scheme of things.”

“So, they’re on good terms?” Komaeda asks. “Oh! I’m sorry for interrupting. Please continue.”

“No, it’s fine,” Hinata gives him a reassuring smile. “Yes, they’re still friendly with each other. We even had family dinners every few months to try and keep things normal, well, as normal as they could be. I guess they didn’t want to stress me out too much, which I’m grateful for.” 

His smile drops for a moment, and he breaks eye contact with Komaeda. “Um, it was around this time that my grades started dropping. I guess you can only be considered an “academically gifted” child for so long before you burn out and become average like everybody else.” He lets out a half-hearted laugh, “Truth be told, I’m actually terrible at math. I don’t think I ever got a good grade in that subject all of high school. But,” He pauses again, his smile returning, though not as sanguine as before, “I still did pretty well in English, which is probably why I decided to major in it. I didn’t really have any idea what I wanted to do with my life, and I wasn’t particularly good at anything. So, I just went with the safest option.”

“But you do now?” Komaeda says slowly, untucking his knees. He means to say it as an encouraging proclamation, but it comes out as more of an uncertain question.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Hinata answers.

“Why do you want to be a teacher, Hinata-kun?”

“I guess,” He pauses and pensively wets his lips, “I guess it’s because I want to help other kids who are like me, so they can have someone who understands what they’re going through.” He shakes his head and chuckles, “Sorry, that probably sounds pretty stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Komaeda says, hesitantly placing his hand on top of Hinata’s, his face dusted in a ruddy blush. His hand jumps quickly away from Hinata’s, almost as if the contact burned him. He pulls Hinata’s computer out of his lap and opens it, rapidly typing a brief essay outline in the previously blank document, “A-and it wasn’t boring either! That’s exactly what you should write about in your essay. Here, I was thinking maybe something like this….”

Hinata feels an embarrassed flush rise in his cheeks and burning in his ears as he watches his friend work. Despite his chronic self-deprecation and undermining of his own skills and abilities, it's obvious that Komaeda is a talented writer. He’s picked up a habit of overtly praising Hinata, but he doesn't feel at all worthy of his adoration. It’s hard to think of himself as talented when there are so many others around him who are far more skilled than he is. Still, Hinata swallows down his embarrassment and turns to Komaeda, “I was wondering if after we finished up here if you would like to join Nanami and I for coffee again?”

Komaeda stops typing, “Are you sure? I really am dreadful company, Hinata-kun. I would hate to impede on your free time with Nanami-san.”

Hinata shakes his head, “Not at all. Actually, I think that Nanami and I both really enjoyed your company.”

“R-really?” Komaeda asks, the flush on his face returning. “How disappointing to think that the two of you would both have such poor taste.” Hinata blinks in surprise and stares at him, agape. “Um,… that was a joke. I’m sorry if that wasn’t clear. I’m not very good at comedy.” Komaeda says, briskly handing back Hinata’s computer and returning to his own essay. 

\---

Nanami sent Hinata a text while they were on their way to the café that something had come up and that she’d be a few minutes late. So, when the two arrive, they secure a small table in the back of the café, drinks already in hand, making idle conversation as they wait for Nanami to arrive. Hinata is in the middle of recounting a story about him and Nanami in high school when Komaeda’s smile suddenly drops, and his jovial, albeit raspy, laughter dies quickly in his throat. His pale eyes widen, and he looks as if his heart has stopped beating in his chest. Hinata turns around in his seat, his eyes scanning the interior of the café to find what stopped his friend’s buoyant mood in its tracks. His eyes catch a glint of long, wheat-coloured blonde hair belonging to a familiar-looking girl in a dark green bouffant dress, entering the café arm in arm with Nanami. The pair turn towards Hinata and Komaeda, and the girl’s expression quickly matches Komaeda’s when their eyes meet. Nanami gives confused looks at the two as they gawk at each other. 

Komaeda is the first to speak, his adam’s apple bobbing anxiously, “Um, hello, Sonia-san.” 

“Komaeda-kun!” Sonia finally says after reeling in her shock. “I can’t believe it’s actually you.” She pauses for a moment and swallows before continuing, “I had no idea you were going to be here."

He sends a distressed look towards Hinata, “I didn’t know you were going to be here either.”

Nanami’s eyebrows furrow in concern as she gently tugs on Sonia’s hand, “Let’s go order our coffee.”

“O-oh, right!” Sonia gives Hinata and Komaeda an apprehensive smile before leaving with Nanami to order their drinks.

Komaeda turns away from Hinata, face furrowing into a troubled expression as his thumbnail picks incessantly at the plastic lid of his coffee. 

"Komaeda, I am so sorry. I didn't know she was inviting Sonia, I promise." 

"I… I believe you." He doesn't look away from his cup. His pale eyes, clouded with an emotion that Hinata can't discern, fixate on the ice cubes in his drink as they shift and clink together, slowly melting away into the bitter, black coffee. The persistent clicking sound of the lid flicking under Komaeda's painted thumbnail soon begins to draw the attention of a few close by patrons. Noticing the gazes of the other customers gravitating towards him, Komaeda quickly tears his hand away from his drink and instead settles it in his mouth, tightly tucked away between his teeth as he begins to bite down on the blunt nail.

"I can stay with you when you talk to Sonia, or you don't have to talk to her at all. We can even leave if you want to." 

He doesn't respond and continues to tug harshly on his nail. 

"Komaeda…?" Hinata asks, his voice becoming quiet as he gently places a hand on his friend's shoulder. Komaeda jerks under Hinata's hand, and he trembles for a moment, but he doesn't take any action to move away from him. Taking Komaeda's stagnation as a cue to continue, he presses on. "Can you tell me what you’d like to do?" 

His jaw clenches and Hinata hears a quiet snapping sound as the top of Komaeda’s nail rips halfway off his finger. Blood bubbles to the surface from the broken skin of his nail bed and slowly drips down the side of his thumb. 

"Komaeda, holy shit." Hinata breathes out before pulling Komaeda's hand out of his mouth, his nail ripping the rest of the way off of his thumb as he does so. He isn't bleeding a lot, but Hinata still wraps his thumb in a napkin and gingerly applies pressure to make the gentle rising of blood stop as soon as possible. 

"Ah," Komaeda finally says as he wipes the chipped nail polish and blood from his bottom lip, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Hinata grumbles. "Just don't do it again. Are you okay?"

Komaeda nods slowly, his gaze never leaving Hinata's hands wrapped around his own wounded one. Hinata slowly scans the rest of Komaeda's fingers; all of his nails cut down close to his skin. He knew Komaeda said that his nail-biting habit was bad, but he can only assume that this is a regular occurrence for him, given his lack of reaction to his ripped nail bed.

“I… I think so,” Komaeda finally responds, eyes meeting Hinata’s for the first time in what feels like hours.

“Are you sure?” Hinata asks as he delicately peels back the napkin to assess the severity of the wound. He grimaces and bites down on his tongue to keep from vocalizing a displeased sound. The skin of his nail bed isn’t that acutely damaged, and it’s already beginning to scab over, but it does look like it’ll take at least a week for the skin to heal fully. He has no idea how long it’ll take for the rest of the nail to grow back. 

“I don’t have any antiseptic on me, but I do have a packet of bandages in my bag if you could grab that for me,” Komaeda speaks up, aware of Hinata’s prolonged concerned stare at his thumb. 

“Right,” Hinata says, releasing his hold on Komaeda’s hand as he turns to trifle through his bag. After retrieving a small box of adhesive bandages, he returns to Komaeda’s hand, peeling the napkin the rest of the way off the wound. Removing a bandage from its packaging, He tenderly begins to apply it to the damaged area. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Komaeda expresses faintly, a soft blush flaring up in his cheeks. He suddenly looks away and clears his throat, speaking louder this time. “I’ve already exposed you to such a loathsome sight. I wouldn’t want you to sully yourself any more than you already have.”

“Cut that crap,” Hinata asserts, perhaps a bit more harshly than he should, giving the state of fragility Komaeda had been in only a moment ago. “You’re not loathsome, or grotesque, or any other of that shit that you call yourself. I know that you have some sort of imposter syndrome or something, but you’re not as terrible as you think you are. You need to get over yourself.”

Hinata’s hand stills its application of the ban-aid and looks up at Komaeda as if he just realized what he said. He quickly becomes flustered and attempts to backtrack, “U-um, I mean…”

Komaeda lets out a quiet chuckle, silencing Hinata’s rising chagrin. “Get over myself? I don’t think I’ve ever heard it phrased like that. You really are amusing, Hinata-kun.” His quiet chuckling grows into an unsettling and disjointed chortle, once again catching the attention of a few close by customers. However, he doesn’t avert his adverse behaviour quite as quickly as before, nearly laughing himself silly to the point that Hinata’s concern rises so high in his chest, he feels like his anxiety is trying to claw its way out through his mouth to push him to take some sort of action against his friend’s unwarranted behaviour. But his anxiety stays like a rock-hard lump in his chest, and he doesn’t take any action, waiting as Komaeda’s displaced laughter slowly subsides into hushed gasps and gentle wheezes. 

It’s quiet between the two for a moment as Komaeda catches his breath and the patrons of the coffee shop return to their regular conduct. “I’m sorry,” Komaeda finally breathes out, voice raspy and forehead slick with perspiration. 

“It’s… It’s fine,” Hinata answers, hands sitting stiffly as his sides, clenching into tight fists. “Why are you so reluctant to talk to Sonia?”

Komaeda lets out a long breath and turns away from him, favouring to watch leaves skittering in the wind along the pavement outside of the café’s window over holding Hinata’s gaze, “It’s complicated.”

Hinata glances over his shoulder to the other side of the café where Sonia and Nanami are having a hushed conversation by the drink order counter, “I think we have a few minutes.”

“I… I don’t feel comfortable sharing everything.” Komaeda lets out another displeased sigh before speaking again, “Sonia and I were very close when we were young. But, after my parents….” He pauses for a moment and shakes his head, “Nevermind. It had been so long since we were close like that. I didn’t want to bother her.” He sucks in a quick breath and turns away from the window, gaze falling to his injured hand, which had gradually become tremulous as he spoke.

“You won’t,” Hinata says, placing his hands on top of Komaeda’s. “Sonia is the type of person who cares deeply for those around her. I’m sure she wouldn’t feel like you’re bothering her.” He throws another glance over his shoulder. Nanami is gently patting Sonia on the back as she sucks down a third of her coffee with anxious fervour. “In fact, I think she’s just as nervous as you are.”

Komaeda looks away from their conjoined hands with a breathy chuckle, “You’re too kind, Hinata-kun.”

“I’m really not. I’m an asshole most of the time,” He laughs and idly brushes his thumb over Komaeda’s knuckles. “I guess you keep catching me on my good days.”

Komaeda’s cheeks flush a deep rose shade, and he pulls his hands away from Hinata’s. “They’re walking over here.” He says tightly.

Hinata glances over his shoulder once more to see Nanami and Sonia heading their way, drinks notably less than half-full. “Do you want me to stay with you while you talk to Sonia?”

“N…no, I can do this.”

Hinata nods and stands when the girls reach their table, allowing Sonia to take his seat. “We’ll let you two have some time to talk,” Nanami says, pulling Hinata away with her to a remote corner of the café, leaving the two alone. 

“Um-” “So…” 

They both let out an awkward chuckle, and Komaeda motions for Sonia to speak first. “You, um… you look good,” She says.

“I really don’t,” Komaeda says with a wan smile, looking down into his drink. 

“But you do!” Sonia remarks enthusiastically. “I mean, look at you! You’ve grown so tall.”

He laughs, “You say that like you’re my mother.” 

His laughter slowly dies, and Sonia’s lips press into a doleful frown, “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Komaeda asks, tilting his head as his eyebrows furrow in confusion. “If anything, I should be the one apologizing.”

Sonia shakes her head, “I should have told you that I transferred to a school in Japan and was living in the area. I didn’t say anything because… because I thought you didn’t like me anymore. I’m sorry.” She turns away and blinks back, the tears welling up in her eyes.

“Sonia-san,” Komaeda says, hesitantly grabbing her hand, “Why would you think that I didn’t like you anymore?”

“Because,” She wipes away a stray tear, “You stopped visiting, you never called, and when we visited, you were always distant. I just assumed you stopped liking me.”

Komaeda lets go of Sonia’s hand and moves to fidget with his own, beginning to pick at his nails. But he stops, eyes fixating on his bandaged thumb for a short moment before he decides to twiddle with the straw of his drink instead, “I know that you and your parents are always so busy. I didn’t want to bother you.” He stops and restlessly wets his lips, his voice becoming tight, “And I couldn’t visit, Sonia-san, I just couldn’t.”

“I know,” She says, nodding solemnly, “But you’re not a bother Komaeda-kun. I care about you, okay? So, I want you to talk to me, even if you think that you might be bothering me, which you won’t.” She laughs fondly, shaking off any remaining melancholy air, and gives Komaeda a warm smile, “So, tell me about what’s been going on with you recently. I think we have a bit of catching up to do.” Komaeda returns the smile and the two launch into an enthusiastic conversation.

“They look like they’re getting on well,” Nanami says softly over her drink. She and Hinata had been watching the two’s tentative conversation from their remote corner of the café, making hushed comments to each other every so often. 

“I think so, too,” Hinata responds, finally letting out the tense breath he’d been holding since Komaeda and Sonia began their conversation. He hadn’t realized he’d been so deeply invested.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Nanami says, averting her eyes away from Hinata, keeping them fixated on Sonia and Komaeda. She twiddles her fingers, a gentle heat rising on her face, “I need to tell you something.”

\---

Hinata exits the café with Komaeda, who’s smiling brightly as he recounts his conversation with Sonia. 

“That sounds great, Komaeda,” He says, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He really hadn’t expected it to get so cold so quickly. “I knew you had nothing to worry about.”

Komaeda chuckles, “I suppose you’re right, Hinata-kun.” He suddenly stops on the sidewalk and gently tugs on Hinata’s sleeve when he keeps walking.

“Huh? What is it?” Hinata asks, turning around to face the other. 

“I just wanted to thank you, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda says, rubbing his hands together anxiously, careful to avoid his injured thumb. “I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to talk to Sonia-san if it wasn’t for you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Hinata says, waving him off, “I’m really not the motivator you and Kuzuryu seem to think I am. You did that all on your own.” He turns back around and begins walking again, Komaeda following close behind.

“Are you cold?” Hinata asks.

“H-huh?”

“Your face is pretty red. It’s been getting really cold recently, so remember to bring a scarf or something with you next time.”

“Oh,… really?” Komaeda’s hands reach up and cup his burning cheeks, “I hadn’t noticed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that this chapter took a bit longer than the last one. i had a bit of trouble writing a couple of the scenes and my beta and i have been really busy with school (this chapter is actually unbetaed whoops). however, i have a lot of ideas for the next chapter, so expect it to be out sooner than this one! 
> 
> thank you for reading and i hope you enjoyed! comments are very appreciated ((:

**Author's Note:**

> hEY YOU DO YOU LIKE DTEAM CONTENT? IF YOU DO YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT MY BEST FRIEND AND AMAZING BETA, AnonS28 and their DTeam fic!  
> link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24816463  
> GO GIVE THEM SOME LOVE BC THEY'RE AMAZING AND THEY DESERVE IT OKAY THANK YOU FOR READING, BYE ((:


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